American presidential politics is followed worldwide. In Liberia, a country with strong historical ties to the United States, many people are wondering why anti-Trump forces have been unable to take him down through their attacks and efforts to stop him.
Liberians need to know that although Donald Trump is rising, the American government is nowhere close to falling. Even if Trump is successful, the American government will operate without a glitch, because of checks and balances.
Fighting fire with fire and fighting manure with manure, the Republican establishment continues digging itself into a big hole they may never get out of in decades.
In order to counter the rising Trump without aiding his acceleration, there are five commonsense strategies I would propose for the anti-trump forces to consider. These strategies go beyond the clear present danger posed by Trump. If followed, the Republican establishment stands to gain in the future and emerge as a viable political party in the growing racial, cultural and religious diversity of America.
First, identify an alternative suitable candidate to Trump and begin supporting that candidate. If there are no candidates to be found, no worries, it’s only a four-year term with checks and balances – it shall come to pass faster than you think. It makes no sense to try and beat somebody (Trump) with nobody.
Second, create a message that resonates with the voters and potential supporters of Trump. If you have no message, voters have no reason to come to your cause and no justifications for leaving Trump. Mitt Romney’s proposal of “Anyone but Trump†hasn’t worked because it’s not strategic.
Third, identify the underlining reasons or problems that fuel Trump’s rise and success and address it with tangible benefits for current and potential Trump supporters. Voters are not stupid; they need solutions and reasons to justify their actions. In America, everyone has electricity, portable water, and paved roads. No matter who wins, citizens still have access to the basic human needs of education, food, clothing and shelter. People need reasons to vote.
Fourth, instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on anti-trump advertisement, fund great causes in communities where disenfranchised voters live or redirect your millions to impoverished, post Ebola and post conflict countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. One lesson from the demise of Jeb Bush is money without a message that resonates can’t always buy votes. The people are not stupid. One good deed always leads to another. There are many community-based organizations serving America’s poor for decades that would have benefited from the millions of dollars spent on anti-Trump advertisement.
Fifth, the system is broken. Nearly 50% of eligible voters in the USA have lost faith in the system and do not bother to vote. Instead of pushing ahead with a broken system, it’s better to stop, take stock and begin building a better system – one that earns the trust of voters.
An example of the broken system within the conservative community is the lack of diversity in the leadership, top management and board of evangelical institutions such as World Vision, World Relief and the major denominations representing an important component of the base of the conservative establishment.
For decades missions agencies have sent missionaries to Black Africa who are not representative of the cultural, racial and ethnic diversity that make up this core constituency.
Additionally, western aid agencies that have operated for decades in third world countries such as Samaritan Purse, World Relief and World Vision effectively exclude the racial, cultural and ethnic diversity of their constituency. Third world countries where these agencies work, like Liberia and Sierra Leone need to nudge these agencies to incorporate cultural, racial and ethnic diversity in their top management and board as a requirement for setting up shop in these countries.
Increasingly, America is becoming an ethnic, racial, religious and cultural mosaic. Just as the Republican establishment didn’t see Trump coming, their knee jerk response to stop him at all cost may be too little too late.
By putting themselves in control at the helm of everything, especially when it comes to finances, the boards, top management and leaving no room for the growing diverse population of America, the conservatives in the Republican establishment are becoming irrelevant and powerless.
Even if they “trump the Trump†and derail his bid for the White House, they will be unable to craft a relevant message that resonates with the followers of Trump and many voters beyond the current Trump followers that have propelled his success.
Featured photo by Matt A.J
